1905-07-13 NEW MINISTER OF MARINE

London Times,
13 July 1905, p. 5: THE RUSSIAN NAVY. NEW MINISTER OF MARINE. ST. PETERSBURG,
JULY 12.*

Admiral Birileff has been appointed
Minister of Marine. The appointment involves a departure from traditional
usage, as Admiral Birileff becomes Minister forthwith without serving the usual
probationary period as Administrator of the Department.

REVAL, JULY
11.*

It is announced that discontent
manifested itself on the 7th. inst. among the sailors of the cruiser Minine
[Minin] lying at anchor here. The men complained of bad food and a sailor threw
a biscuit into the face of an officer. The boatswain and two petty officers,
who were concerned in the affair, will be tried by Court-martial.

The naval crews here, numbering
about 700 men, to-day refused to eat their dinner, which they described as
repulsive, and sent a deputation to the commander-in-chief, who tasted the food
and admitted that the men were right. The officer responsible for the supply of
provisions was thereupon relieved of his duties and sentenced to a week’s
strict arrest. It should be added that the sailors further complained that the
officer in question had pocketed 200 roubles (£20) of the funds assigned for
the food supply.

Owing to apprehensions of a mutiny,
the sailors of the Minine and Kreml have had their firearms taken away from
them.

CONSTANZA,
JULY 12.*

In obedience to orders received from
St. Petersburg the Russian squadron left this port during the night for
Sevastopol, the Kniaz Potemkin being towed by the battleship Tchesme.

PORT SAID,
JULY 12.*

The Russian auxiliary cruiser Rion
has arrived here. She will leave for Libau to-morrow afternoon.